5. Measurement accuracy. Averaging

5.1 Measurement accuracy

Systematic error, which is characteristic of the instrument's accuracy and depends on both the signal analyzed and the analysis mode (sampling frequency, type of window, frequency sampling step, etc.), must be treated separately.

Automatic self-calibration of the device reduces this error to a minimum. In most cases, the calibration signal is sinusoidal.

As regards accidental errors, which are characteristic of the instrument's fidelity, a classic method consists of averaging a large number of measurement results.

This method is used in digital signal analyzers: different types of averaging can be performed on the successively calculated spectra.

The input signal...